GUIDE TO THE HIGH HOLIDAYS | FALL 2012
THE BASICS
Now that the holidays are approaching, it’s time for us to remind you that Rosh Ha-Shanah will begin this year on Sunday evening, September 16, and continue on Monday and Tuesday , September 17 and 18. Kol Nidray will fall on the evening of Tuesday, September 25, with Yom Kippur, including Yizkor services on Wednesday September 26. The official verdict this year: the holidays are “exactly on time.”
You may already have received our letter about the High Holidays, along with a separate form for those who may wish to make contributions to the Synagogue. We will once again proceed with open seating in the Sanctuary. Our Sanctuary will be open without charge to our members and visitors, and we welcome guests who may wish to experience services for the first time at B’nai Emunah. No advance reservations will be necessary.
If you have a question, please call Betty Lehman, our Synagogue Administrator, at the Synagogue Office. The number is (918) 583-7121. Many blessings to all our members and friends for a year of health, happiness, and peace.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING
Each year, the Synagogue concentrates on turning our celebration outward so that others are benefited by the gathering of the congregation. For 2012, we ask that you think of the children of McClure Elementary School and the high level of poverty and social dislocation at Sixty-First and Peoria. When you come to services, please bring along new or lightly used backpacks so that we can distribute them at the school. The collection point is in the Main Lobby of the Synagogue.
SECURITY
Our hope, as always, is to celebrate the beginning of the new year in a setting that is safe, secure, and orderly. As in years past, you will see uniformed officers at the Synagogue who will be ready to assist you in any way. Their cars will be parked outside the building, and staff members of the Synagogue will be monitoring our security cameras. If anything at all causes you concern, please make contact without delay.
Our staff of volunteer High Holiday ushers will also be quite visible throughout the celebration. Please help us by carefully following their directions and responding warmly when they introduce themselves.
HELP NEEDED
Every celebration at the Synagogue is a communal effort requiring time, energy, and talent. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact us at (918) 583-7121 to speak with Terry Marcum, our Special Events Director; Greg Raskin, our Program Director; or Betty Lehman, our Synagogue Administrator. We have space for everyone; please give us a call!
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Wouldn't it be grand if you entered the Sanctuary this year and had a stronger sense of the sound of our liturgy? For those who’d like to get an early start, the Synagogue is once again offering a sampler of melodies used at B’nai Emunah during our annual High Holiday celebration. The CD is free and it is available now; just call Suzanne at the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121 for your copy.
KLAY KODESH
We’re pleased to announce that Rafi Dworsky, B’nai Emunah High Holiday cantor for the last several seasons, will join us once again for the High Holidays this year. Rafi’s remarkable warmth and modesty have added greatly to our service. He will be singing together with Rabbi Fitzerman, accompanied at each service by Jon Glazer (piano) and Greg Raskin (mandolin).
If you’d like to host Rafi for a milchig (dairy), vegetarian, or kosher fleishig (meat) meal, please call Suzanne D’Eath, our Main Office Secretary, at (918) 583-7121. She would be delighted to hear from you, as we complete arrangements for Rafi’s visit.
LARGE-PRINT MACHZORIM (HIGH HOLIDAY PRAYERBOOKS)
Now’s the time to reserve your copy of the large print machzorim (High Holiday prayerbooks) we have been using for several years.
These special prayerbooks are only slightly bulkier than the smaller version and may be used with ease by people who need the boost of a larger-than-usual text. Just call Suzanne D'Eath at the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121 to have us set aside a copy for you.
HEARING ENHANCEMENT EQUIPMENT
Our refurbished Sanctuary is equipped with an effective hearing enhancement system. Through the use of lightweight, unobtrusive headsets, those who have had some difficulty in the past find that they can hear our service quite clearly.
We would be delighted to reserve a headset for you; simply call the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121, and we’ll make all the necessary arrangements.
NEED A LETTER FOR EMPLOYER OR SCHOOL?
Synagogue members, especially those with children, occasionally need letters to employers or principals, explaining the nature of Jewish holiday observance. Despite the strong level of understanding in our community, there is still a need for education, particularly when you must arrange a legitimate absence from work or school.
If you feel that such a letter might be helpful, please call Suzanne D'Eath at the Synagogue Office, (918) 583-7121. Rabbi Fitzerman would be delighted to assist in this area and communicate directly with those who might appreciate an explanation.
OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS?
If you will be visiting relatives or friends during the High Holidays and would like to worship in another synagogue, please call Suzanne D’Eath in the Main Office for a letter of introduction over the Rabbi’s signature. The number is (918) 583-7121. Many congregations honor requests for complimentary seats, but you must normally demonstrate that you are a member of a hometown synagogue. That is part of our reciprocal relationship with other congregations, and it would be typical for a congregation to cooperate fully.
Similarly, we would be happy to host out-of-towners visiting Tulsa during the High Holiday season. High Holiday seats are available at no charge to all who wish to attend. No advance reservations are necessary for members of the local Jewish community or anyone who comes to us from afar. If you happen to know of a newcomer who will be joining us for the first time, please call the Synagogue in advance so that we can extend a warm greeting and set aside any questions about security.
DEDICATIONS
When our new High Holiday prayerbooks were purchased several years ago, a small group was reserved for the purpose of special dedications. We wanted to offer a way of honoring the living or memorializing those who are no longer with us. If you would like to dedicate a High Holiday prayerbook, please call the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121. A bookplate reflecting your wishes will be affixed to the machzor, and it will be placed in circulation with the others on hand. The suggested contribution for dedicating a prayerbook is $50.
KITTEL, TALLIT, AND ATHLETIC SHOES
As interest in Jewish ritual continues to grow, we hope that many will be attracted to new possibilities. Consider, for example, the holiday kittel. A simple white garment with collar and sash, it is intended to be worn as a ritual overgarment. It expresses a hope for purity in thought and deed and democratizes the experience of worship in a community. The kittel effectively obliterates differences in dress and self-adornment, and symbolically creates a community of equals.
This year the Bissel Shop will accept orders from both men and women for holiday kittels (“kittlach”). Please contact Nancy Cohen at (918) 299-9123 to make an appointment to try one on.
A second possibility is a new holiday tallit. The tallitot (“talaysim”) available in the foyer of the Synagogue are of a kind popularized in post-war Jewish life. Much older in style and significantly more authentic are the large wool tallitot worn by some members of the congregation. There is nothing quite like the enveloping drape of a traditional wool ceremonial garment. These are available in both black- and blue-striped versions, as well as several other colors. One or two of our members have extraordinary tallitot, woven as ceremonial coats of many colors. We invite you to contact Nancy Cohen at (918) 299-9123 for a look. We would be delighted to walk you through the possibilities and trust that you’ll find the prices reasonable.
A final possibility in the area of ritually appropriate clothing is available at no cost at all to our members. Like other fast days on the ritual calendar, Yom Kippur has a special “look.” In order to distinguish it from other days, the Rabbis prohibited certain articles of clothing which connoted luxury or self-indulgence. The classic case is leather shoes. Since they were typically the most costly item in a wardrobe, they were crossed from the list of permitted clothing.
Members aware of this old prohibition frequently come to Synagogue, beginning with Kol Nidray, in simple, inexpensive cloth and rubber shoes. Any such shoe will satisfy the tradition. Canvas tennis shoes are probably the best example.
If you’d like to observe Yom Kippur this way, please don’t feel self-conscious about your decision. An increasing number of B’nai Emunah members are choosing this expression of humility and simplicity.
JUNIOR CONGREGATION SERVICES
Once again, we are now developing a set of engaging High Holiday activities for the young people of our congregation. Each activity will be designed to be age-appropriate and relevant to the High Holiday experience. Our School Office will be distributing a High Holiday Junior Congregation Program Guide that will make it easy for our families to participate in our planned activities.
Junior Congregation is intended for all youngsters in our school system through grade ten. This is a shift from previous practice, and we hope that it meets with the approval of our families. Kindergarten through sixth-grade students will gather, as before, for age-appropriate services and holiday activities. Seventh through tenth graders will participate in a new program called “Inside Out,” an effort to get closer to the deeper meanings of holiday.
Junior Congregation activities will be held throughout our building. Parents of children in every age group are asked to remember that we will be assembling in spaces in which we have invested in a very substantial way. Many areas have once again been repainted by our staff. Please encourage your children to be respectful of the facility and to demonstrate behavior that reflects well on themselves and on you. Children should be either with you in the Sanctuary or in supervised activities at all times.
Information about locations for all of our programs for children will be posted at the main entrance of the building. Signs will direct you to the correct room for your child.
CHILDCARE DURING THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
We’re happy to say that childcare arrangements are now being made for the High Holiday season. Sitters will be available for children younger than kindergarten age during most of the services on our holiday schedule. Children will be placed in age-appropriate settings, with groups restricted to manageable sizes. Shelli Wright, our Preschool Director, will again be designing and supervising our childcare program this year.
We hope that you will use this service and that your children will be comfortable throughout our celebration. As usual, there’s no charge involved, but we ask that you help by bringing along the items that you would normally leave a caregiver in your home. Diapers, formula, dairy snacks, and favorite toys all come immediately to mind. If you have any suggestions about childcare, please relay them directly to Shelli. We are eager to learn from past experience, and many of our parents have been helpful each year. It’s important to us that things be handled with care and that parents be able to place their children without concern.
In order to assure the best service we can provide, we ask you to make reservations for this program and to do so early. Simply call the Synagogue Office soon, and ask to speak with our School Secretary. The number is (918) 585-KIDS. She’ll ask the pertinent questions. It may be helpful to note that childcare will be available for all of the services listed below.
First Night of Rosh Ha-Shanah on Sunday, September 16
First Morning of Rosh Ha-Shanah on Monday, September 17
Second Morning of Rosh Ha-Shanah on Tuesday, September 18
Kol Nidray/Yom Kippur Eve on September 25
Yom Kippur on September 26
Remember that we must have your reservation early in the season. Your timely response would be very helpful to our staff and volunteers.
THE HOMEBOUND
It’s important that each of our members feels connected to the Synagogue, regardless of mobility and the limitations of illness or age. We regularly deliver a gift basket to everyone we know who cannot, for physical reasons, join us for High Holiday services.
The gift baskets include fruit and honey cake, as well as greetings from B’nai Emunah. If you’d like to be involved in delivering these packages, please call Greg Raskin at the Synagogue today at (918) 583-7121. Here’s an important mitzvah that might be fulfilling for you and your family.
SHARING YOUR TABLE
Each year, we ask members of the congregation to open their homes to newcomers, TU students, and those without extended families so that all can share in the great joy of the High Holidays. The mitzvah itself is called hachnasat orchim, making a place at your table for those who might enjoy company.
If you’d like to include others in your festival meals, please call Suzanne D’Eath at the Synagogue Office. The number is (918) 583-7121. Invariably, there are students, new members, and others who would appreciate holiday hospitality. We are especially eager this year to extend a warm welcome to “Teach for America” newcomers to Tulsa.
Let us know, also, if you need such an invitation. Our hope, always, is that those who are new to our community or who are feeling needy in any way will find the members of B’nai Emunah warm, hospitable, and caring. Just call Suzanne and share a word about your plans and how we can help.
BLESSINGS FOR THOSE IN NEED
At every Torah service during the High Holidays, blessings are recited under a canopy in the center of the Sanctuary for those who are ill or infirm. The special formula is called a mi-shebayrach, and Rabbi Fitzerman would be glad to include anyone about whom you may be concerned.
Please do us the favor of calling the Synagogue Office at (918) 583-7121 in the days before Rosh Ha-Shanah or Yom Kippur. It is traditional to use the Hebrew name of the ill person and identify him/her by referring also to the name of his/her mother.
If those names are unfamiliar to you, simply provide the person’s English name. In either case, Rabbi Fitzerman will include the name in his blessing.
FLOWERS FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
If you would like to honor or memorialize a member of your family, or mark another occasion in your life, we hope you will consider a gift of flowers for the High Holidays. The large arrangements in the Rothbaum Atrium and on the bimah are a beautiful way of enhancing the holidays for our members, and your gift would be most appreciated.
At this point, the arrangements have not yet been spoken for, and we would welcome your inquiries at the Synagogue Office. Please call (918) 583-7121, and ask to speak with our administrator, Betty Lehman. Flowers are displayed on Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, and again on the first and last days of Sukkot. Betty would be glad to discuss costs and opportunities.
KEVER AVOT
Each year, members of the congregation take time out in the days before the High Holidays to visit the graves of family members at Rose Hill Memorial Park. These visits offer moments of recollection and prayer, honoring the memory of those who are no longer alive.
There are several ways to accomplish this traditional practice, including improvised prayer and speaking one’s heart freely at the cemetery. If you would like a formal guide to a cemetery visit, together with a suggested liturgy, please call Rabbi Fitzerman at the Synagogue Office. The number is (918) 583-7121.
SELICHOT: PRELUDE TO THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
Selichot Services are the traditional prelude to the High Holidays, a vestibule through which the community passes on its way to the satisfactions of repentance and renewal. Coming shortly before Rosh Ha-Shanah, Selichot is part of the season of turning, a transition which calls for focus and readiness.
It is also a way of tuning into the worldview represented by our season of observance. In the press of responsibility and the distractions of the moment, we need to find a way to disengage and pay attention to the world inside us: feelings of anger, hurt, and loss; aspirations for the future; high hopes for growth and development. A person who does not come out of the experience of Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur with some valuable new way of projecting himself/herself into the world has missed an opportunity for deepening the self.
Congregation B’nai Emunah invites the whole community to attend Selichot Services on Saturday evening, September 8. Following the brief Mincha service at 6:45 p.m., the evening will continue with a Se’udah Shelishit (final Shabbat meal) at 7:00 p.m. This meal serves as the congregation’s official welcome to all who have affiliated in the previous calendar year.
Following the meal at 7:45 p.m., the Synagogue will present a special program appropriate to the season. This year's offering will be a Coffee House Concert featuring Cantor Rafi Dworsky.
At 8:30 p.m., the evening will continue with Selichot, an hour-long service which introduces the motifs of the High Holidays and sets the musical mood of the liturgy.
This year, for the eighth time, the Selichot service will feature the music of Klay Kodesh, the Synagogue’s instrumental music ensemble. The service will conclude with the blowing of the shofar by members of the large group of volunteer shofar blowers trained at the Synagogue.
Reservations for this meal may be made by calling the Reservations Hotline at (918) 935-3373 or e-mailing us at reservations@bnaiemunah.com. The cost is modest, and special arrangements can be made for those of limited means. Childcare arrangements should be made at least two days prior to the event, or at the time of your reservation. Childcare is available at no additional charge.
SYNAGOGUE DRESS
There is no formal dress code that applies to Synagogue services, but most men will arrive in a suit or jacket and tie. Younger men sometimes come in dress slacks and a collared shirt. Women generally wear dresses or suits, but several women wear dress pants and a top appropriate for the occasion. Synagogue services call for modesty and simplicity in all things, and it would be quite rare to see elaborate dress of any kind.
Members and friends should keep in mind that it is very difficult to calibrate an air conditioning system so that it suits everyone present. Because it is difficult to cool a large public space, we need to start early. Those who are first to arrive sometimes find the Sanctuary chilly, so please dress appropriately. Generally, the room warms up as more people arrive.
On the question of dress for children, the vast majority of our children arrive in dress appropriate to the occasion. There is no need to purchase a suit or a jacket for a boy, but a nice collared shirt and non-denim pants would be perfectly appropriate. The equivalent for a girl would be a simple dress or dress pants and a top.
If you need further advice on this subject, please call Betty Lehman at the Synagogue Office. The number is (918) 583-7121. If you are a parent of limited means and need help outfitting your child for the holiday, we are always ready to help you in a quiet, confidential way.
FIRST NIGHT (EREV ROSH HA-SHANAH)
Newcomers to the Synagogue may find it helpful to learn that services on the first night of Rosh Ha-Shanah (September 16) are quite brief, in keeping with the traditional patterns of the holiday. Our hope is that members will attend Synagogue first, and then spend the rest of the evening at table, celebrating with family and friends.
We encourage you to begin making these plans now, and to reach out to those who have no family in Tulsa. See the note above about hachnasat orchim, receiving guests into the warmth of your home.
Our service on the first night will begin at 6:00 p.m. In place of a formal sermon, Rabbi Fitzerman will offer a short presentation, and we will conclude with Kiddush at 7:00 p.m. We hope that every member and friend of the congregation has an opportunity to sit down to a festive meal following the service.
FIRST DAY ROSH HA-SHANAH KIDDUSH
As a special addition to the High Holiday calendar this year, we are once again pleased to announce a Congregational Kiddush on the First Day of Rosh Ha-Shanah, immediately following services.
Sponsored by Stuart and Sherri Goodall, and Cookie and George Kaiser, the kiddush honors the memory of Charles and Bessie Goodall, beloved members of the Synagogue and leaders of the congregation and community. All are cordially invited to remain after services and partake of this holiday kiddush.
TASHLICH
Please plan to join us for Tashlich, the ritual casting of crumbs into a body of water at the beginning of the New Year. The ceremony will take place this year on the first day of Rosh Ha-Shanah and reminds us that renewal is possible; that the transformation of self is an achievable goal. We can discard the patterns that do us and others harm and integrate healthier attitudes and behaviors.
We’ll do all of this at Swan Lake. The water there will afford a convenient setting for our ceremony. Look for a kit of bread crumbs and prayer texts at the conclusion of services, right after kiddush. Those who’d like to can then proceed to the lake, with enough bread crumbs to fulfill the mitzvah of Tashlich.
JOIN US FOR APPLES AND HONEY...
...and the chocolate chip cookies of the Altamont Bakery on Rosh Ha-Shanah. Please plan to share in a kiddush presented by Rabbi Fitzerman and Alice Blue on the second day of the festival. Kiddush will be served in the Synagogue atrium and lobby, immediately after the conclusion of morning services. All are welcome.
BABY BLESSINGS
Please take note that we will once again bless children born into the Synagogue family since our last celebration of the High Holidays. Individual blessings will be offered by Rabbi Fitzerman on the second day of Rosh Ha-Shanah, September 18. If you’re new parents, please plan to be present, together with members of your extended family. New grandparent with an out-of-town grandchild? We'd be delighted to bless you, too! Just make sure to let Rabbi Fitzerman know you’re coming. Drop a short note, call (918) 583-7121, or e-mail his office at marboofitz@bnaiemunah.com.
Our service for the new and recently born will take place right after the recitation of the Musaf Amidah. That is almost at the close of our second-day service, near the final blowing of the shofar, scheduled for 12:15 p.m. We hope you’ll be with us so we can acknowledge your good fortune.
SPECIAL TREATS FOR SECOND-DAY KIDS
We hope that you’ll be with us on the second day of Rosh Ha-Shanah (September 18) and that you will make a commitment to bring your children with you.
Youngsters who attend on the second day of the holiday can expect a treat bag at the close of services. Our kids seem genuinely pleased each year when we honor their participation in this way. It’s a means of reinforcing an important Jewish behavior; we hope that you will allow your children to reap the reward.
EMOONIES LUNCH FOR THE SECOND DAY
Good food and great friends; the perfect way to start off the New Year. On Tuesday, September 18, following services on the second day of Rosh Ha-Shanah, all B’nai Emoonies are invited to enjoy a beautiful and delicious luncheon in a relaxed, joyous atmosphere. Come schmooze with old friends and make new ones while enjoying delicious food.
The lunch will begin this year at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Richard and Emily Bolusky. Details are available in the September Messenger. The cost for the luncheon is very modest. Please call the Reservations Hotline soon to make your reservations at (918) 935-3373, or you can also write us atreservations@bnaiemunah.com. If you have any questions, or need more details, contact Greg Raskin at graskin@bnaiemunah.com, or at (918) 583-7121.
The B’nai Emoonies are a group of young couples and singles, who gather for holidays and special occasions for warm and relaxed conversation and good times. All are invited and welcome to participate in any Emoonie events. Child care will be available by reservation for $10 per child, including a pizza lunch.
KAPPAROT
Our experiment with a new version of kapparot over the past eight years has been an astonishment for those who have participated.
Thanks to a relationship between the Synagogue and the local pigeon racing community, we have been able to release a large flock of homing pigeons in the days before Yom Kippur as a physical symbol of release from sin, anger, and the stored-up resentments of the year. Children and adults have held the pigeons in hand and, at the appropriate signal, let the birds fly.
This year, we will once again do kapparot as a congregation. The date is tentatively set for the morning of Sunday, September 23, at 11:45 a.m. All members are invited to convene at the front door of the Synagogue to participate in this short, wondrous liturgy.
The event calls for close cooperation between children and adults, so please plan to be present if your children are in Religious School on Sunday mornings. The birds are beautifully behaved, but things like this really call for the steady hands of an adult.
No reservations necessary. Remember that you do not need to have a child in Religious School to participate. This moving ceremony is intended for all of us.
FASTING
The most notable observance connected with Yom Kippur is fasting, an ancient pattern of focusing and self-abnegation. The fast is rich with symbolic import. It’s a way of saying that we will set self-importance aside, making ourselves smaller for one brief interval each year. It’s an exercise in self-discipline and practice in leading a self-regulated life. It asks us to consider whether we have made real progress in bringing mind and body into harmonious cooperation.
Finally, it clears the way for undistracted thoughtfulness. If we are in the Synagogue all day and not at the kitchen table, there may well be a chance for significant self-examination.
Many people seem to begin with the best intentions and gradually lose their self-confidence in the course of the observance. On the day after Rosh Ha-Shanah, begin tapering off any beverage that includes caffeine. For the final meal before the fast, try a simple preparation, lightly digestible and not highly seasoned. Plan to spend the whole day in the Synagogue, arriving early and remaining through Ne’ilah. We hope that the service itself will bear you forward so that the fast becomes the background for real reflection.
LIGHTING CANDLES
Many of us light candles for Yom Kippur in the Synagogue, and all of us are invited to share in this meditative moment.
Candles and holders will be available, and you are welcome to kindle the holiday lights immediately before Kol Nidray. Women, men, and children may share in this experience; and we urge you to gather your family when you recite the appropriate blessing. Reminder cards with the blessing text will be available for this purpose.
TZEDAKAH ON YOM KIPPUR
As the High Holidays approach, we’d like you to be aware of an old congregational custom at B’nai Emunah: the collection of tzedakah at the doors of the Sanctuary. Stations will be set up on the evening of Kol Nidray at the front entrance of the Synagogue.
Our custom is to ask that all empty their pockets and purses just before the start of the service. The funds collected will be used this year for emergency needs in the McClure Elementary School community. We hope that many will observe this lovely, ancient custom.
LOOKING FORWARD TOWARD NE’ILAH
Parents and youngsters will all have an opportunity to participate in the Ne’ilah Service, which brings Yom Kippur to a close. Each youngster present will hold a Havdalah candle and participate in a procession up the main aisle of the Sanctuary.
We will then recite Havdalah together and conclude with each of our shofar blowers sounding a teki’ah gedolah. School families should watch their mail for a special invitation to participate in this service.
PRIVATE PRAYER BEFORE THE ARK
We will once again open the ark for private prayer shortly after the close of the morning service on Yom Kippur. Worshippers are invited to ascend the bimah to speak their innermost thoughts and hopes. The etiquette is simple: please wait for the person in front of you to finish and then come forward to stand before the ark. Those behind you will wait their turn.
We hope that this ritual deepens your experience of the holidays and provides a moment of extemporaneous prayer. If there is someone you would like to have accompany you, please feel free to invite them along.
YOM KIPPUR BREAK-FAST
We are pleased to announce a Community Break-Fast at the close of Yom Kippur this year. All are invited to an event honoring the memory of Sharna and Irvin Frank. There is no cost for this meal, but please call your reservations into the Synagogue Hotline at (918) 935-3373. The meal will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, September 26. Our thanks to the Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation for this gift to the Tulsa Jewish community. Please note that there will be challah rolls and juice available for those who do not stay for the meal. Our thanks to Sisterhood for providing this traditional treat.
MAKE A LULAV SHAKE
Of course you’re interested; who could resist? For years we’ve been talking about the mitzvot of Sukkot. What could be better than bringing a fragrant citron (etrog) or palm, myrtle, and willow fronds (lulav) into your home?
This is the year to get physically Jewish and put yourself in touch with tactile Judaism. We would be glad to place your order now and schedule delivery for the week of Sukkot. We hope you’ll find the cost quite reasonable: $45.00 for a first-quality set. More expensive grades are available.
Call your order in to Suzanne at the Synagogue Office. The number is (918) 583-7121. We’ll make sure to handle the rest. Each set comes with full instructions, and we will be glad to supply on-the-spot instruction. The mitzvah of taking the lulav in hand can be performed either at home or in the Synagogue. Let us hear from you by Monday, September 24. This is the year to make a lulav shake!
BE A TOTAL JEW: EAT OUTSIDE ON SUKKOT
Got an itch to build a sukkah? Speak with Rabbi Fitzerman soon, soon, soon. This is the year for lumber-based sukkah construction, although we may be able to come up with one or two leftover Sukkot-in-a-Sack. Our hope is to put all of B’nai Emunah in a sukkah. Well, not one big sukkah, but several smaller ones. You get the idea.
CALLING ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS
With college students now preparing to leave for school, we hope to get new addresses and phone numbers as soon as they’re available. Please call Suzanne D’Eath at the Synagogue Office so that we can prepare our list for outreach. The number is (918) 583-7121. Our thanks in advance to students and their parents. Our practice is to send out copies of the Messenger and other mailings. Rabbi Fitzerman sends yearly subscriptions of Jewish journals to help keep students engaged in the tradition. None of this can happen without addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses especially, so please make sure we get that information from you.
Special note: anyone can be on the college list, including those who will not be at school this semester. If you know of a young man or young woman who should be listed, just give the Synagogue Office a call.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Many of our members turn to the Synagogue in the weeks before the High Holidays to support projects and programs that enrich the life of the Synagogue and allow us to do things that cannot be funded in other ways.
Below is a complete list of the special funds of the Synagogue. If you would like to establish a fund to support a goal or hope of your own, please contact Jeremy Rabinowitz, president of the Congregation B’nai Emunah Foundation.
THE FUNDS OF THE SYNAGOGUE
Synagogue General Fund
The Religious School Fund
Endowment 2000 Fund
Synagogue Endowment Fund
Education Endowment Fund
Richards Family Library Fund
Anne Zarrow Courtyard Fund
Building Renewal Endowment Fund
Brian Sweet Memorial Multi-Media Fund
Sam and Pan Marks Helping Hand Fund
Barbara R. Curnutt Preschool Fund
Edgar and Isabel Sanditen Preschool Fund
Camp Ramah Scholarship Fund
Shirley Rabinovitz School Support Fund
Dr. Meyer Rozen Prayerbook Fund
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman Discretionary Fund
Lenny Seigel Playground Equipment Fund
Abe and Mary Fedman
Informal Jewish Education Scholarship Fund
Julius and Mildred Sanditen Pilgrimage Fund
Louis and Sara Kahan
Hebrew School Endowment Fund
Rose Borg Sukkah Fund
Ann Beerman Flower and Garden Fund
Robinowitz Library Fund
Rabbi Arthur D. Kahn, D.D., Culture Fund
Lubell Family Social Activism Fund
Julius Bergman Book Fund
Louis Klein Nursery School Fund
Davis-Goodall Chapel Fund
Mizel Family Philanthropic Fund
Janis Bolusky Memorial Outreach Fund
Scott Sanditen Memorial Community Service Fund
Sidney and Jeanette Frieden Computer Fund
Sam Plost Matzah Fund
Joe and Dorothy Katz Senior Adult Fund
B’nai B’rith Youth Education Fund
Bernie and Sayde LeVine Music Fund
Chevra Kadisha Fund
Norman and Shirley Levin Prayerbook Publication
Fund
Sam and Jessie Blanc Art Fund
Josh Price Memorial Fund
Irvin and Sharna Frank Endowment Fund
Morris and Toby Fell Landscaping Fund
Simcha Fund
Bikur Cholim Fund
Sharna Frank Music Fund
